Gareth Bale scored 2 and Luka Modric played 75 minutes as Real Madrid beat Levante in La Liga. In the match at the Bernabeu, Carlo Ancelotti named a strong playing XI with Modric playing behind Cristiano Ronaldo, Bale and Karim Benzema.

Modric was running the show in the first half of the match as he showed exactly what Los Blancos were missing in his absence. Bale opened the scoring with a smart finish when Ronaldo’s spectacular bicycle kick was headed off the line by the Levante defenders. The ball found its way to Bale, who took advantage of the goalkeeper’s attempt to scramble back into position, and calmly side-footed the ball into the side netting.

His celebration, however, sent a message to the fans as he covered his ears and kicked the corner flag after scoring to give a fitting reply to the supporters who jeered him before. This goal was his first in La Liga since 24th January, when he scored against Cordoba.

Ronaldo would like to claim the second goal as it was his shot which was deflected in by Bale in the 40th minute. The ball took the slightest of touches off Bale and flew in the goal to double Madrid’s lead. Bale now has as many Liga goals as Ronaldo and Benzema in 2015.

The second half was a drab affair as Levante shut up shop and prevented Madrid from scoring. They almost did that through Benzema, though, whose flick on the volley crashed against the crossbar to deny the Frenchman his 6th Liga goal in 2015.